Shhhh....Don't Wake the Dragon!

It's happened.  

For two solid nights in a row, Amelia has slept through the night. Twice I tell you. That is a TREND, not a fluke.  I'm so absolutely incredulous I'm afraid to talk about it. 

Matt credits this accomplishment to the simple act of shutting off the baby monitor. So she's either sleeping through the night, or she's not getting to that going-off-the-rails-crazy level of crying which I can hear over our air conditioner. Either way, I guess I'm ok with that. I mean, for five and three-quarters months I proved I couldn’t let her make a peep without running in to check on her.  So I guess a little crying won't re-wire her brain to be a crack addict or anything. At least I hope not.  

She finally made enough noise at 5:30 this morning for me to hear her-- and she wasn't too upset. She was just sort of complaining, not really all-out crying.  I scooped her up and she latched onto me almost before I could even un-holster.  She drank for a long, long time, all while closing and opening her little hands, reminding me I need to cut her nails again or risk multiple lacerations in places I'd never want a laceration.  Afterwards I put her back down in her crib thinking I'd have a better chance at winning the lottery than getting her back to sleep, and after 10 minutes of chatter...presto.  The dragon sleeps!

Now, where do they sell lottery tickets?  Awesomesauce!

Ten Ways to Survive Single-Parenting at the Pool

In case you haven’t noticed, it’s summer around here. We’ve been pretty busy soaking up the sun!  So far, my favorite part of the summer has been the new swimming pool at Hoyt Park, Hoyt Park Pool . It’s so absolutely mind-blowing fantastic that I’ve not figured out how to take pictures of it, since every time we are there we are having so much darn fun.  This is true even if my husband is with us, which is usually not the case. 

From nine to eleven every weekday morning (Parent Tot hours), it’s basically a water park, minus all those darn big-kids and unruly teens.  Plus, there is a lot for little ones to do—zero-depth entry to a little kids play set in the water, and a sandbox area with lots of fun water and sand toys nearby.  

Having a six-month-old and two and a half year-old, things are a bit busy when we’re at the pool. I’m usually the mom with the infant strapped to my chest in the Baby Bjorn carrier, waddling around in the shallow section trying to stay within three paces of Carson so I can pull him back up on his feet should he forget that he can stand up to breathe. I’ve also mastered a few tricks to make the whole event much easier with two kids. I consider these just a few of my favorite lessons when taking myself to the insane asylum…er… taking the kids to the pool by myself.

1)    Put the bigger kid in his swimsuit and swim diaper BEFORE getting him in the car seat (but not if you know of an impending poop, in that case, hold off).

2)    Get one of those tables with an umbrella—it’s infinitely helpful in the diaper-changing department. You won’t have time to lounge in one of the Adirondack chairs anyway.  Critical if you have two kids in diapers.

3)    Always bring a snack and drink for the kids and you.  No matter if you’re hungry or not.  A snack nearly always gets my two-year old to sit still long enough for me to gather everything up before we leave.

4)    Apply sunscreen before getting to the pool.

5)    Bug spray, not a bad idea but not critical either

6)    Stroller for the little ones—critical, for both sun shade and for the spontaneous nap (for the kids not you)

7)    Sun hats for everyone, and sunglasses for whomever will wear them

8)    A tiny bit of cash for the occasional ice-cream bribe

9)    A wet/dry clothes bag

10) A swimsuit cover-up for you, since changing out of your suit is gonna be nearly impossible.

Hopefully that will help you find some tiny bit of sanity at the pool. One caveat—if you are doing the parent thing solo at the pool, smash any expectations you had about relaxing while there.  This is survival, with a very tiny silver lining:  you can find some relief in knowing this will wear their little butts out. When they get home, they will sleep like the dead, and then you can relax.  So go have some fun at the pool!  

If anyone has more suggestions to help ease the trip--by all means, post here!